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LONDON (The Guardian) March 2 — At Downing Street, Pauline Hickey, whose son Sergeant Christian Hickey, of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, was killed in October, handed in a letter calling on Mr Blair to meet the families of the bereaved.
It read: “I am employed as a child protection social worker, and would be held accountable if a child was injured or died because of negligence to do my job adequately …
Mr. Blair: I’m accountable to God.
Although Mr Blair has agreed to find time to record an appearance on ITV’s Parkinson show, he wrote this week to Rose Gentle, the mother of Fusilier Gordon Gentle, 19, who was killed in June 2004, saying: “I am afraid a meeting will not be possible.”
Since the death of my son on October 2005, three days before his tour was to end, I have started to question why the invasion of Iraq occurred. My son’s remit in Iraq was as a “peacekeeper”, helping with the rebuilding of schools and the infrastructure, and training the Iraqi police to enable them to maintain stability in the future. At the time of his death, Chris was the platoon commander and was responsible for clearing a safe route for a large convoy.
The Iraqi police have been implicated in the death of my son, from a roadside bomb. There will be no further investigation as they were spoken to, photographed and searched, then allowed to go as an Iraqi police service lieutenant colonel arrived and confirmed their identities. It makes nonsense of our involvement with them, as their own chief of police says that he can only trust 25% of his own men. This suggests that the remainder is made up of insurgents who would think nothing of killing coalition troops.
● Not of This World :: GOD’s DECISION!
In the interview PM Tony Blair says of his decision to send troops to Iraq in March 2003: “I think if you have faith about these things then you realise that judgment is made by other people.”
Asked to explain what he meant, Mr Blair replied: “If you believe in God, it’s made by God as well.”
George Bush believes he is on a mission from God.
Charles Dharapak/AP
His comments echoed those of President Bush, who reportedly claimed last year that his decision to invade Iraq was a “mission from God“.
“But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.”
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